Cooler with Slidable Storage Area

ABSTRACT

An insulated cooler for storing beverages or other items. An embodiment of a cooler may include an insulated container having an opening disposed through a sidewall thereof to provide access to an interior volume; and a storage drawer defining a storage area for storing one or more items. The storage drawer is slidably coupled to the insulated container and slidably moveable through the opening between a first position in which the storage area of the storage drawer is disposed within the interior volume, and a second position in which the storage area of the storage drawer is withdrawn from the interior volume. In some embodiments, the storage drawer may include a stop member configured to engage the insulated container to prevent the storage drawer from disengaging from the insulated container when the storage drawer is slid into the second position.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

I hereby claim benefit under Title 35, United States Code, Section119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/294,308 filedDec. 28, 2021. The 63/294,308 application is currently pending. The63/294,308 application is hereby incorporated by reference into thisapplication.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable to this application.

BACKGROUND

The described example embodiments in general relate to an insulatedcooler for storing beverages, food, or other suitable items in a cool,insulated environment. Prior art coolers generally include an insulatedcontainer in which a user may place ice (or cold packs) along withvarious items that the user desires to keep cold. Such coolers typicallyhave a moveable lid that may be raised or opened to access the itemsstored within the cooler.

Although coolers are primarily used for storage of food and beverages,such coolers may also serve other useful purposes, such as serving as aseat for people at a social gathering, or as a table surface for servingfood and drinks to guests. In such situations, it may not always be easyor desirable to raise the lid to access items stored within the cooler.Although some prior art coolers have been equipped with a movable drawerthat enables a user to access items within the cooler without openingthe lid, such prior art coolers may suffer from various performanceproblems wherein the movable drawer does not perform optimally.Therefore, although desirable results have been achieved using prior artcoolers, there is room for improvement.

SUMMARY

Some of the various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to acooler that includes a slidable storage area for improved access to oneor more items stored within the cooler. At least some of the variousembodiments of coolers disclosed herein include an insulated containerhaving an opening disposed through a sidewall thereof to provide accessto an interior volume; and a storage drawer defining a storage area forstoring one or more items. The storage drawer is slidably coupled to theinsulated container and slidably moveable through the opening between afirst position in which the storage area of the storage drawer isdisposed within the interior volume, and a second position in which thestorage area of the storage drawer is withdrawn from the interiorvolume. The storage drawer includes a stop member configured to engagethe insulated container to prevent the storage drawer from disengagingfrom the insulated container when the storage drawer is slid into thesecond (or fully withdrawn) position.

In addition, in some other embodiments, a cooler in accordance with thepresent disclosure includes an insulated container having an openingdisposed through a sidewall thereof to provide access to an interiorvolume; and a storage drawer that includes a tray defining a storagearea for storing one or more items, and a door attached to a first endof the tray. The storage drawer is slidably coupled to the insulatedcontainer and slidably moveable through the opening between a firstposition in which the storage area is disposed within the interiorvolume, and a second position in which the storage area is withdrawnfrom the interior volume. The door of the storage drawer is configuredto cover the opening when the storage drawer is in the first position.In some embodiments, the storage drawer includes a stop member extendingaway from the tray at a location spaced apart the door, the stop memberbeing configured to: engage an abutment portion of the insulatedcontainer when the storage drawer is in the second position to preventthe storage drawer from disengaging from the insulated container whenthe storage drawer is slid into the second position; and disengage fromthe abutment portion of the insulated container when the first end isrotated upwardly to enable the storage drawer to be disengaged from theinsulated container.

In some other embodiments, a method in accordance with the presentdisclosure includes providing an insulated container having an interiorvolume, and a storage drawer defining a storage area, the storage drawerbeing slidably coupled to the insulated container and slidably moveablethrough an opening disposed in a sidewall of the insulated containerbetween a first position in which a storage area of the storage draweris disposed within the interior volume, and a second position in whichthe storage area of the storage drawer is withdrawn from the interiorvolume. In some embodiments, a method includes slidably moving thestorage drawer from the first position to the second position such thata stop member of the storage drawer engages with an abutment portion ofthe insulated container to prevent the storage drawer from disengagingfrom the insulated container when the storage drawer is slid into thesecond position. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some ofthe embodiments of the present disclosure in order that the detaileddescription thereof may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional embodiments that will be described hereinafter and that willform the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect,before explaining at least one embodiment in detail, it is to beunderstood that the various embodiments are not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction or to the arrangements of thecomponents set forth in the following description or illustrated in thedrawings. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description andshould not be regarded as limiting.

To better understand the nature and advantages of the presentdisclosure, reference should be made to the following description andthe accompanying figures. It is to be understood, however, that each ofthe figures is provided for the purpose of illustration only and is notintended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the presentdisclosure. Also, as a general rule, and unless it is evidence to thecontrary from the description, where elements in different FIGS. useidentical reference numbers, the elements are generally either identicalor at least similar in function or purpose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooler with a slidable storage area inaccordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the cooler of FIG. 1 in accordancewith an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an insulated container of the cooler ofFIG. 1 with a lid in an open position in accordance with an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a storage drawer of the cooler of FIG. 1in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the cooler of FIG. 1 takenalong line 5A-5A of FIG. 1 in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an end cross-sectional view of the cooler of FIG. 1 takenalong line 6B-6B of FIG. 1 in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the cooler of FIG. 1 with thestorage drawer in a partially open position in accordance with anexample embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a portion of theinsulated container and the storage drawer (indicated as portion 8C inFIG. 6 ) in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a portion of theinsulated container and the storage drawer (indicated as portion 8C inFIG. 6 ) in accordance with another example embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a cooler with a slidable storage areain accordance with another example embodiment.

FIG. 11 is an end cross-sectional view of the cooler of FIG. 10 takenalong line 11D-11D of FIG. 10 in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of the cooler of FIG. 10 takenalong line 12E-12E of FIG. 10 with a storage drawer in a partially openposition in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of the cooler of FIG. 10 takenalong line 12E-12E of FIG. 10 with the storage drawer in a fullyextended position in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view of the cooler of FIG. 10 takenalong line 12E-12E of FIG. 10 with the storage drawer in a disengagementposition in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a portion of theinsulated container and the storage drawer (indicated as portion 15F inFIG. 11 ) in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a portion of theinsulated container and the storage drawer (indicated as portion 15F inFIG. 11 ) in accordance with another example embodiment.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a portion of theinsulated container and the storage drawer (indicated as portion 15F inFIG. 11 ) in accordance with yet another example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A. Overview.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a cooler thatincludes a slidable storage area for improved access to items storedwithin the cooler. At least some of the various embodiments of thepresent disclosure include a cooler 10 comprising an insulated container12 having an opening 28 disposed through a sidewall 16 thereof toprovide access to an interior volume 22, and a storage drawer 30defining a storage area 38 for storing one or more items, the storagedrawer 30 being slidably coupled to the insulated container 12 andslidably moveable through the opening 28 between a first position 44 anda second position 46. In at least some embodiments, in the firstposition 44, the storage area 38 of the storage drawer 30 is disposedwithin the interior volume 22 of the insulated container 12, and a door40 of the storage drawer 30 covers the opening 28 of the insulatedcontainer 12 (e.g. as shown in FIG. 5 ). In the second position 46, thestorage area 38 of the storage drawer 30 is at least partially withdrawnfrom the interior volume 22, allowing a user to access the storage area38 (e.g. to retrieve food or beverages, add ice or cold packs, etc.)(e.g. as shown in FIG. 7 ).

In at least some embodiments, the storage drawer 30 includes a stopmember 150 configured to engage the insulated container 12 to preventthe storage drawer 30 from sliding out of the opening 28 when thestorage drawer 30 is slid into a fully extended position. In furtherembodiments, the stop member 150 of the storage drawer 30 is furtherconfigured to disengage from the insulated container 12 when a distalend of the storage drawer 30 is rotated upwardly into a disengagementposition to enable the storage drawer 30 to be removed from the opening28 and separated from the insulated container 12.

B. Insulated Container.

The figures illustrate exemplary embodiments of insulated containersthat may be utilized in accordance with the present disclosure. It willbe appreciated that the structural details of the insulated containermay vary depending upon how the insulated container slidably engageswith and supports a storage drawer that provides a slidable storagearea. For example, FIGS. 1-9 illustrate an insulated container 12 havingtracks 25 disposed on side surfaces of the interior volume 22 thatslidably engage slide members 35 of the storage drawer 30. FIGS. 10-17show alternate embodiments of an insulated container 112 having rails125 disposed along interior corners 118 proximate to a bottom 14 of theinterior volume 22 that slidably engage slide channels 135 of thestorage drawer 130, as described more fully below. It will beappreciated that these exemplary embodiments are merely for illustrativepurposes, and thus the scope should not be construed as being limited toany particular insulated container configuration shown in the figures.

With reference to FIGS. 1-9 , an embodiment of the insulated container12 generally comprises a box-shaped container having a bottom 14, one ormore sidewalls 16, and a lid 18. The insulated container 12 generallyencompasses an interior volume 22 in which beverages, food, or othersuitable items may be stored in a cool, insulated environment. Morespecifically, in at least some embodiments, the insulated container 12comprises a box-shaped container 12 (FIGS. 1-3 ) having a bottom surface14 and a pair of side surfaces 19 (FIGS. 8-9 ) at least partiallydefining the interior volume 22. The insulated container 22 may furtherinclude a pair of wheels 50 that engage a floor surface to facilitatemovement of the cooler 10 by a user.

It should be appreciated that the insulated container 12 may befabricated of a variety of suitable materials, including plastics,metals, polymers, foams or other suitable insulative materials, or anycombination thereof. The insulated container 12 may preferably bewaterproof and relatively airtight when closed to maintain a cool,insulated environment in the interior volume 22.

In some embodiments, the lid 18 of the insulated container 12 may bepivotably coupled to the sidewall 16 by one or more hinges 20 (two shownin FIG. 2 ). The lid 18 may be moveable between a closed position toenclose the interior volume 22, and an open position to enable the userto access to the interior volume 22. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the lid18 may include a handle 24 to enable a user to easily pivot the lid 18into the open position (FIG. 3 ). A rack (or basket) 26 may bepositioned within an upper portion of the interior volume 22, and may beaccessed by the user by opening the lid 18. In some embodiments, the lid18 includes a pair of latch members 52 that extend downwardly to engagewith latch anchors 54 disposed on the sidewall 16 of the insulatedcontainer 12 to secure the lid 18 in the closed position (FIGS. 1-2 ).Similarly, in some embodiments, two additional latch members 52 mayextend from the sidewall 16 to engage with corresponding latch anchors54 disposed on the storage drawer 30 to secure the storage drawer 30within the insulated container 12. In some embodiments, the latchmembers 52 may be approximately T-shaped members made of a resilient,flexible (or stretchable) polymeric material, and the latch anchors 54may include hook-like members that receive and secure a top portion ofthe T-shaped members to securely engage the latch members 52 intoengagement with the latch anchors 54.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6 , the sidewall 16 of theinsulated container 12 may include a raised ridge (or lip) 23 along anupper edge that fittingly engages into a corresponding groove 27disposed within the lid 18, to provide an improved seal between the lid18 and the sidewall 16 of the insulated container 12. In at least someembodiments, the ridge 23 and the groove 27 may be disposed about theentire periphery of the lid 18.

As best shown in FIGS. 3,5, and 7 , the insulated container 12 mayfurther include an opening 28 disposed within a sidewall (or end wall)16 thereof. The opening 28 is sized to slidably receive the storagedrawer 30, and to allow the storage drawer 30 to slidably move into(arrow 32) and out of (arrow 34) the interior volume 22 of the insulatedcontainer 12 (see FIG. 5 ).

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-9 , the insulated container 12further includes a pair of elongated tracks 25 disposed within theinterior volume 22 on opposing sidewalls 16 proximate to outer sides 48of the storage drawer 30. More specifically, as best shown in FIG. 8 ,each track 25 of the insulated container 12 may be mounted approximatelyhorizontally on an interior surface 19 of the sidewall 16, and slidablyengages with a slide member 35 disposed on an outer side 48 of the tray36 of the storage drawer 30 to slidably support the storage drawer 30within the interior volume 22 of the insulated container 12.

As shown in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8 , each track25 may be a solid member that is attached to, or integrally formed with,an interior surface 19 of the sidewall 16 of the insulated container 12.Similarly, each slide member 35 may be a solid member that is attachedto, or integrally formed with, an outer side 48 of the tray 36 of thestorage drawer 30. In some embodiments, the tracks 25 and slide members35 may comprise resilient members (e.g. plastic, metal, etc.) havingrelatively smooth flat surfaces that slide against each other withrelatively low friction as the storage drawer 30 is moved through theopening 28.

It will be appreciated that a variety of suitable configurations oftracks 25 and slide members 35 may be conceived that enable the storagedrawer 30 to slidably move into and out of the interior volume 22 of theinsulated container 12. For example, in other embodiments, as shown inFIG. 9 , each track 25 may be a hollow member, and similarly, each slidemember 35 may be a hollow member. Again, the tracks 35 and slide members35 may slide against each other with relatively low friction as thestorage drawer 30 is moved through the opening 28. Alternately, infurther embodiments, the tracks 25 and slide members 35 may comprisemore complex structures, such as rollers (or bearings) that engage rails(or races) that enables the slide members 35 to move transversely overthe tracks 25 as the storage drawer 30 is moved through the opening 28.Therefore, it will be understood that a variety of suitableconfigurations may be conceived, and that the tracks 25 and the slidemembers 35 should not be limited to any particular embodiments shown inthe accompanying exemplary figures.

In addition, it will be appreciated that various configurations ofinsulated containers may be readily conceived, and that the claimsshould not be construed to be limited to the particular embodimentsshown in the figures. For example, in an alternate embodiment shown inFIGS. 10-17 , the insulated container 112 includes some of the samecomponents as the previously described embodiment, however, instead ofelongated tracks 25, the insulated container 112 includes a pair ofelongated rails 125 disposed along the intersection of the bottom 14 andthe sidewall 16 of the insulated container 112 (along the interiorcorners 118 proximate the bottom 14 of the interior volume 22).

In some exemplary embodiments, as best shown in FIG. 15 , the rails 125may be solid members, and may be attached to, or integrally formed with,an interior surface 119 of the insulated container 112 within theinterior volume 22. The elongated rails 125 may extend at leastpartially along the interior corners 118 of the insulated container 112(at the intersection of the bottom 14 and the sidewall 16), and mayslidably engage with corresponding slide channels 135 formed in lowercorners 145 of the tray 136 of the storage drawer 130.

In at least some embodiments, the rails 125 and the slide channels 135may be configured to provide a space 146 between the storage drawer 130and the bottom 14 of the insulated container 112. In this way, the slidechannels 135 are positioned on top of the rails 125 to slidably supportthe storage drawer 130 within the interior volume 22 of the insulatedcontainer 112, and to enable a user to slidably move the storage drawer30 into (arrow 32) and out of (arrow 34) the interior volume 22 of theinsulated container 12 (see FIG. 5 ) by applying force on the door 40 ofthe storage drawer 130. The space 146 between the storage drawer 130 andthe bottom 14 of the insulated container 112 may prevent small objectsfrom getting stuck or from scratching the surfaces of the insulatedcontainer 112 and the storage drawer 130.

Alternately, as best shown in FIG. 16 , the rails 125 may be hollowmembers that are disposed along the interior corners 118 of the interiorvolume 22 of the insulated container 112. In further embodiments, therails 125 may have a substantially curved or rounded cross-sectionalshape. In some embodiments, the rails 125 may have a partial-circularcross-sectional shape (e.g. quarter-circular). Similarly, the slidechannels 135 of the storage drawer 130 may have a partial-circularcross-sectional shape that slidably engages with the rails 125 toslidably support the storage drawer 130 within the interior volume 22 ofthe insulated container 112, as described more fully below.

C. Storage Drawer.

As shown in FIGS. 1-9 , in some embodiments, the storage drawer 30generally includes a tray 36 that defines a storage area 38 for storingitems (not shown) that the user desires to maintain at a cooltemperature within the cooler 10. A door 40 is attached to the tray 36and may be sized to fully cover the opening 28 of the insulatedcontainer 12 when the storage area 38 is fully disposed within theinterior volume 22 of the insulated container 12 (e.g. FIG. 5 ). In someembodiments, a handle 42 may be attached to the door 40 to facilitate auser sliding the storage drawer 30 into (arrow 32) or out (arrow 34) ofthe interior volume 22 of the insulated container 12. Similarly, in someembodiments, another handle 42 may be attached to the insulatedcontainer 12 at the end opposite from the door 40 of the storage drawer30 to facilitate carrying of the cooler 10. As best shown in FIGS. 1-2 ,a drain plug 56 may be removably disposed in a drain opening in the door40 of the storage drawer 30. The drain plug 56 may be opened or removedby a user to drain melted ice or other liquids out of the storage area38 of the storage drawer 30.

As noted above, the storage drawer 30 is slidably moveable through theopening 28 of the insulated container 12 between a first position 44 anda second position 46. In the first position 44, the storage area 38 ofthe storage drawer 30 is disposed within the interior volume 22 of theinsulated container 12, and the door 40 of the storage drawer 30 coversthe opening 28 of the insulated container 12 (e.g. as shown in FIG. 5 ).In the second position 46, the storage area 38 of the storage drawer 30is at least partially withdrawn from the interior volume 22, allowing auser to access the storage area 38 (e.g. to retrieve food or beverages,to add or replenish ice or cold packs, etc.) (e.g. as shown in FIG. 7 ).It will be appreciated that the second position 46 of the storage drawer30 may be an approximately or nearly fully withdrawn position in whichthe storage area 38 is substantially fully withdrawn from the interiorvolume 22 of the insulated container (e.g. FIG. 13 ).

As best shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 9 , in at least some embodiments, thestorage drawer 30 includes a pair of slide members 35 disposed on outersides 48 of the storage drawer 30 that slidably engage with the tracks25 of the insulated container 12. More specifically, the slide members35 of the storage drawer 30 rest on top of the tracks 25 of theinsulated container 12 to suspend the storage drawer 30 within theinterior volume 22 of the insulated container 12. Because the slidemembers 35 may slide along the tracks 25, the engagement of the slidemembers 35 with the tracks 25 enable the storage drawer 30 to beslidably moved into (arrow 32) and out of (arrow 34) the interior volume22 of the insulated container 12 (see FIG. 5 ) by the user pushing orpulling on the handle 42 of the door 40 without opening the lid 18 ofthe insulated container 12.

Various configurations of storage drawers may be conceived, andaccordingly, the claims should not be construed to be limited to theparticular embodiments shown in the figures. In alternate embodimentsshown in FIGS. 10-17 , the storage drawer 130 includes some of the samecomponents as the previously described embodiments, but also with somesubstantial differences.

For example, as best shown in FIGS. 11 and 15-17 , in some embodiments,the slide members 35 may be eliminated, and the storage drawer 130 maybe configured with slide channels 135 formed in lower corners 145 of thetray 136 that slidably engage with the corresponding rails 125 disposedat interior corners 118 of the interior volume 22 of the insulatedcontainer 112.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , each rail 125 of theinsulated container 112 may have a substantially rectangular (or square)cross-sectional shape, and similarly, the corresponding slide channels135 of the storage drawer 130 may have an angular cross-sectional shapethat engages with a portion of each rail 125. In other embodiments,however, each rail 125 of the insulated container 112 may have asubstantially curved or rounded cross-sectional shape, and similarly,the corresponding slide channels 135 of the storage drawer 130 may havea curved or rounded cross-sectional shape that engages with a portion ofeach rail 125. In some embodiments, the rails 125 may have aquarter-circular cross-sectional shape, and the slide channels 135 mayhave a partial-circular cross-sectional shape. In general, the slidechannels 135 of the storage drawer 130 may have any suitable shape thatenables the slide channels 135 to slidably engage with the rails 125 toslidably support the storage drawer 130 within the interior volume 22 ofthe insulated container 112.

As further shown in FIGS. 10-17 , in some embodiments, the storagedrawer 130 may also include a stop member 150. More specifically, thestorage drawer 130 may include a tray 136 that defines the storage area38, and a door 40 attached to a first end 137 of the tray 136, whereinthe door 40 is configured to cover the opening 28 of the insulatedcontainer 112 when the storage drawer 130 is in the first position 44(e.g. see FIG. 5 ). The stop member 150 extends upwardly from the tray136 at a location spaced apart from the door 40. In some embodiments,the stop member 150 extends upwardly from a second end 138 of the tray136 opposite from the door 140.

As best shown in FIG. 13 , the stop member 150 is configured to engagean abutment portion 152 of the insulated container 112 (e.g. a portionof sidewall 16) when the storage drawer 130 is in a fully extendedposition 154 to prevent the storage drawer 130 from unintentionallysliding completely out of the opening 28 of the insulated container 112.More specifically, the stop member 150 includes at least one upwardlyprojecting member that is configured to engage a downwardly dependingabutment portion 152 of the insulated container 112 when the storagedrawer 130 is in the fully extended position 154. Thus, the stop member150 may advantageously prevent unintentional withdrawal anddisengagement of the storage drawer 130 from the insulated container 112when the user moves the storage drawer 130 to the fully extendedposition 154 (e.g. FIG. 13 ).

As shown in FIG. 14 , in at least some embodiments, the stop member 150of the storage drawer 130 may be further configured to disengage fromabutment portion 152 of the insulated container 112 when the first end137 of the storage drawer 130 (FIG. 12 ) is rotated upwardly (arrow156), placing the storage drawer 130 in a disengagement position 158. Inthe disengagement position 158, the storage drawer 130 may be disengagedfrom the insulated container 112, removed from the opening 28, andseparated from the insulated container 112.

D. Operation of Preferred Embodiment.

In operation, embodiments of insulated coolers in accordance with thepresent disclosure may advantageously permit a user to access itemsstored within the storage area 38 of the storage drawer 30, 130 withoutopening the lid 18. In addition, exemplary embodiments in accordancewith the present disclosure may prevent unintentional disengagement ofthe storage drawer 130 by including a stop member 150 on the storagedrawer 130 that engages an abutment portion 152 of the insulatedcontainer 112.

More specifically, in at least some embodiments, a method of using acooler 10, 110 in accordance with the present disclosure may includeproviding an insulated container 12, 112 having an interior volume 22,and a storage drawer 30, 130 defining a storage area 38, the storagedrawer 30, 130 being slidably coupled to the insulated container 12, 112and slidably moveable through an opening 28 disposed in a sidewall 16 ofthe insulated container 12, 112 between a first position 44 in which astorage area 38 of the storage drawer 30, 130 is disposed within theinterior volume 22, and a second position 46, 154 in which the storagearea 38 of the storage drawer 30, 130 is withdrawn from the interiorvolume 22. In some embodiments, a method includes slidably moving thestorage drawer 30, from the first position 44 to the second position 46,154 such that a stop member 150 of the storage drawer 30, 130 engageswith an abutment portion 152 of the insulated container 12, 112 toprevent the storage drawer 30, 130 from disengaging from the insulatedcontainer 12, 130 when the storage drawer 30, 130 is slid into thesecond position 46, 154.

In some embodiments, slidably moving the storage drawer 30, 130 from thefirst position 44 to the second position 46, 154 may include slidablymoving the storage drawer 30, 130 such that slide members 35 disposed onside surfaces 48 of the storage drawer 30, 130 slide over elongatedtracks 25 disposed on an interior surface 19 of the insulated container12, 112 proximate the side surfaces 48 of the storage drawer 30, 130. Infurther embodiments, slidably moving the storage drawer 30, 130 from thefirst position 44 to the second position 46, 154 may include slidablymoving the storage drawer 30, 130 such that slide channels 135 formedwithin lower corners 145 of the storage drawer 30, 130 slide overelongated rails 125, each rail 125 being disposed along interior corners118 formed at an intersection of the bottom 14 and sidewall 16 of theinsulated container 12, 112.

In additional embodiments, a method in accordance with the presentdisclosure may also include rotating a first end 137 of the storagedrawer 30, 130 upwardly to disengage the stop member 150 of the storagedrawer 30, 130 from the abutment portion 152 of the insulated container12, 112. Similarly, in still other embodiments, a method includes movingthe storage drawer 30, 130 into a disengaged position 158, includingrotating the first end 137 of the storage drawer 30, 130 upwardly todisengage the stop member 150 of the storage drawer 30, 130 from theabutment portion 152 of the insulated container 12, 112. And in stillfurther embodiments, a method may include disengaging the storage drawer30, 130 from the insulated container 12, 112, including rotating thefirst end 137 of the storage drawer 30, 130 upwardly to disengage thestop member 150 of the storage drawer 30, 130 from the abutment portion152 of the insulated container 12, 112, and separating the storagedrawer 30, 130 from the insulated container 12, 112.

Embodiments of coolers in accordance with the present disclosure mayprovide considerable advantages over prior art coolers. For example,because the storage drawer is slidably moveable through the opening ofthe insulated container, the storage area is easily accessible, allowingitems within the storage area to be readily accessed even in situationswhere it is not possible or desirable to open the lid of the cooler. Inaddition, embodiments of coolers having a storage drawer that includes astop member may provide further advantages by preventing the storagedrawer from becoming unintentionally disengaged from the insulatedcontainer when the storage drawer is slid into a fully extendedposition. Also, because the storage drawer may be slidably coupled tothe insulated container using an arrangement of relatively simplecomponents, embodiments of coolers in accordance with the presentdisclosure may be more durable, reliable, longer-lasting, and lesscostly to manufacture in comparison with some prior art coolers.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materialssimilar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in thepractice or testing of the various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, suitable methods and materials are described above. Allpatent applications, patents, and printed publications cited herein areincorporated herein by reference in their entireties, except for anydefinitions, subject matter disclaimers or disavowals, and except to theextent that the incorporated material is inconsistent with the expressdisclosure herein, in which case the language in this disclosurecontrols. The various embodiments of the present disclosure may beembodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit oressential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that thevarious embodiments in the present disclosure be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive. Any headings utilizedwithin the description are for convenience only and have no legal orlimiting effect.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cooler, comprising: an insulated containerhaving an opening disposed through a sidewall thereof to provide accessto an interior volume; and a storage drawer defining a storage area forstoring one or more items, the storage drawer being slidably coupled tothe insulated container and slidably moveable through the openingbetween a first position in which the storage area of the storage draweris disposed within the interior volume, and a second position in whichthe storage area of the storage drawer is withdrawn from the interiorvolume, the storage drawer including a stop member configured to engagethe insulated container to prevent the storage drawer from disengagingfrom the insulated container when the storage drawer is slid into thesecond position.
 2. The cooler of claim 1, wherein the stop member ofthe storage drawer is configured to disengage from the insulatedcontainer when a first end of the storage drawer is rotated upwardly toenable the storage drawer to be removed from the opening and separatedfrom the insulated container.
 3. The cooler of claim 1, wherein thestorage drawer includes a tray that defines the storage area, and a doorattached to a first end of the tray, the door being configured to coverthe opening when the storage drawer is in the first position, andwherein the stop member extends upwardly from the tray at a locationspaced apart from the first end of the tray.
 4. The cooler of claim 3,wherein the stop member includes at least one upwardly projecting memberthat is configured to engage a downwardly depending abutment portion ofthe insulated container when the storage drawer is in the secondposition.
 5. The cooler of claim 1, wherein the insulated containerincludes at least two tracks, each track being elongated and disposed onan interior surface within the interior volume proximate to an outerside of the storage drawer, and wherein the storage drawer includes atleast two slide members, each slide member being disposed on the outerside of the storage drawer and slidably engaging one of the at least twotracks of the insulated container to slidably support the storage drawerwithin the interior volume of the insulated container.
 6. The cooler ofclaim 5, wherein each track is integrally formed with the interiorsurface of the insulated container.
 7. The cooler of claim 1, whereinthe insulated container includes at least two rails, each of the atleast two rails being elongated and disposed along an interior cornerwithin the interior volume proximate a bottom of the insulatedcontainer, and wherein the storage drawer includes at least two slidechannels, wherein each of the at least two slide channels being formedin a lower corner of the storage drawer and slidably engaging one of theat least two rails of the insulated container to slidably support thestorage drawer within the interior volume of the insulated container. 8.The cooler of claim 7, wherein each rail is integrally formed with aninterior surface of the insulated container.
 9. The cooler of claim 7,wherein the interior corner is formed by an intersection of a sidewalland the bottom of the insulated container.
 10. The cooler of claim 7,wherein the at least two rails of the insulated container and the atleast two slide channels of the storage drawer are configured to providea space between the storage drawer and the bottom of the insulatedcontainer.
 11. The cooler of claim 1, wherein the insulated containerincludes a lid pivotably coupled to a sidewall and moveable between aclosed position to enclose the interior volume, and an open position toenable access to the interior volume.
 12. A cooler, comprising: aninsulated container having an opening disposed through a sidewallthereof to provide access to an interior volume; and a storage drawerthat includes a tray defining a storage area for storing one or moreitems and a door attached to a first end of the tray, the storage drawerbeing slidably coupled to the insulated container and slidably moveablethrough the opening between a first position in which the storage areais disposed within the interior volume, and a second position in whichthe storage area is withdrawn from the interior volume, the door beingconfigured to cover the opening when the storage drawer is in the firstposition, the storage drawer further including a stop member extendingaway from the tray at a location spaced apart from the first end, thestop member being configured to: engage an abutment portion of theinsulated container when the storage drawer is in the second position toprevent the storage drawer from disengaging from the insulated containerwhen the storage drawer is slid into the second position; and disengagefrom the abutment portion of the insulated container when the first endis rotated upwardly to enable the storage drawer to be disengaged fromthe insulated container.
 13. The cooler of claim 12, wherein the stopmember includes at least one upwardly projecting member that isconfigured to engage a downwardly depending abutment portion of theinsulated container when the storage drawer is in the second position.14. The cooler of claim 12, wherein the insulated container includes atleast two tracks, each track being elongated and horizontally disposedon an interior surface within the interior volume proximate to an outerside of the storage drawer, and wherein the storage drawer includes atleast two slide members, each slide member being disposed on the outerside of the storage drawer and slidably engaging one of the at least twotracks of the insulated container to slidably support the storage drawerwithin the interior volume of the insulated container.
 15. The cooler ofclaim 12, wherein the insulated container includes at least two rails,each rail being elongated and disposed along an interior corner withinthe interior volume proximate a bottom of the insulated container, andwherein the storage drawer includes at least two slide channels, eachslide channel being formed in a lower corner of the storage drawer andslidably engaging one of the at least two rails of the insulatedcontainer to slidably support the storage drawer within the interiorvolume of the insulated container.
 16. A cooler, comprising: aninsulated container having an opening disposed through a sidewallthereof to provide access to an interior volume, the insulated containerincluding at least two rails, each rail being elongated and disposedalong an interior corner within the interior volume proximate a bottomof the insulated container; and a storage drawer defining a storage areafor storing one or more items, the storage drawer including at least twoslide channels, each slide channel being formed in a lower corner of thestorage drawer and slidably engaging one of the at least two rails ofthe insulated container to slidably support the storage drawer withinthe interior volume of the insulated container, the storage drawer beingslidably moveable through the opening between a first position in whichthe storage area of the storage drawer is disposed within the interiorvolume, and a second position in which the storage area of the storagedrawer is withdrawn from the interior volume.
 17. The cooler of claim16, wherein the storage drawer comprises a tray defining the storagearea, and a door attached to a first end of the tray, the door beingconfigured to cover the opening when the storage drawer is in the firstposition.
 18. The cooler of claim 16, wherein the at least two rails ofthe insulated container and the at least two slide channels of thestorage drawer are configured to provide a space between the storagedrawer and the bottom of the insulated container.
 19. The cooler ofclaim 16, wherein the storage drawer further includes a stop memberconfigured to engage an abutment portion of the insulated container toprevent the storage drawer from disengaging from the insulated containerwhen the storage drawer is slid into the second position.
 20. The coolerof claim 19, wherein the stop member of the storage drawer is furtherconfigured to disengage from the abutment portion of the insulatedcontainer when a first end of the storage drawer is rotated upwardly toenable the storage drawer to be removed from the opening and separatedfrom the insulated container.